How Electroshock Treatment (ECT) “Works”
- ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT or “electroshock”) is a psychiatric procedure that is frequently used to treat depression and other mental disorders.
- The Effects of ECT. ...
- Science and Psychiatry. ...
- Electricity. ...
- Electricity and the Brain. ...
- ECT Pulse Width. ...
- The Science Behind ECT. ...
- ECT and the FDA. ...
- Summary. ...
Full Answer
Does electroshock therapy really work?
This treatment, sometimes referred to as "electroshock therapy," is often misunderstood and incorrectly portrayed by popular media as a harsh, cruel treatment. In reality, it is a painless medical procedure performed under general anesthesia that is considered one of the most effective treatments for severe depression. It can be lifesaving.
What does electroshock therapy feel like?
When you awaken, you may experience a period of disorientation lasting from a few minutes to several hours. Headaches, jaw pain, and muscle soreness may occur. ECT requires a series of treatments, often initiated two to three times a week for a few weeks and then the frequency is tapered down.
How much does electroshock therapy cost?
The cost to the consumer for ECT varies depending on if the person has health insurance, if the insurance covers this procedure, and to what extent. The cost of each ECT session is about $2,500, for a total of $25,000 for the 10 sessions an average course of treatment entails. That does not include the cost of a hospital stay if necessary.
What are the alternatives to electroshock therapy?
Their observations suggest that ECT may have several effects, including:
- changing brain blood flow
- briefly altering the permeability of the blood-brain barrier
- modifying the electrical profile of the brain
- promoting the action of genes that play a role in certain brain cell growth
- stimulating the release of hormones
- stimulating the release of neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and dopamine
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What did electroshock therapy do?
Overview. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.
Do they still do electroshock therapy?
But electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still being used -- more in Europe than the United States -- and it may be the most effective short-term treatment for some patients with depressive symptoms, a newly published review in the journal The Lancet suggests.
Is electroshock therapy painful?
No, the ECT procedure isn't painful. ECT involves general anesthesia, which means you're asleep while the procedure is happening. After the procedure, you may have some side effects, such as headache, nausea or sore muscles, but these are all normal.
What does electroshock therapy feel like?
When you awaken, you may experience a period of disorientation lasting from a few minutes to several hours. Headaches, jaw pain, and muscle soreness may occur. ECT requires a series of treatments, often initiated two to three times a week for a few weeks and then the frequency is tapered down.
Does ECT damage the brain?
The review of literature and present evidence suggests that ECT has a demonstrable impact on the structure and function of the brain. However, there is a lack of evidence at present to suggest that ECT causes brain damage.
Does ECT affect IQ?
However, former patients have publicly testified that ECT can result in a very significant (>30 point) permanent decrement in IQ score (Food and Drug Administration, 1982; Andre, 2001; Cott, 2005: p. 5) and have documented the claims by extensive neuropsychological evaluation.
Does ECT erase memories?
One of the known side-effects of ECT is memory loss. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, that memory loss is normally temporary, but some patients report severe and long-lasting memory losses after ECT. This study took advantage of this side-effect to see if it was possible to target specific memories.
Is ECT cruel?
But while it was preferable to the chemical alternative, ECT could still be, by many accounts, cruel. The seizures could lead patients to thrash about wildly and even break bones, and was generally an “extremely unpleasant” experience, Sadowsky said.
What is electroporation used for?
Toxic material rushes in, and the cell dies. In biological research, electroporation is used to force drugs into cells through temporary pores. In medicine it is used to kill cancer cells. In psychiatry brain cell damage by electroporation is a likely byproduct of ECT.
What is ECT therapy?
ECT. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT or “electroshock”) is a psychiatric procedure that is frequently used to treat depression and other mental disorders. Psychiatrists long ago got the idea that having a convulsion could be therapeutic for patients with mental illness.
How long does an ECT pulse last?
In an attempt to reduce the heating effects, modern ECT devices now use a very large number of very short (“ultra brief”) pulses that last less than one microsecond (a millionth of a second). That is, the current flows for a very short time, and then it is off for a longer time.
How does a volt work in ECT?
In ECT, a voltage is applied to two electrodes placed on the patient’s head. This voltage, as high as 460 volts, creates an electric field inside the patient’s skull. This electric field puts a force on the electrons inside the brain, causing them to move. This movement of electrons is a current flow of up to 900 milliamperes. By contrast, brain cells normally operate with less than one-half of a volt and a fraction of one milliampere.
When was ECT first used?
ECT was first used in 1938 when an Italian psychiatrist, Ugo Cerletti, observed pigs in a Rome slaughterhouse being anesthetized with electroshock before being butchered. His first human patient begged Cerletti, “Non una seconda! Mortifierel” (“Not another one! It will kill me!”).
When did the FDA approve ECT devices?
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was given authority to regulate medical devices in 1976. ECT devices were already in use by then, so they were automatically approved without any testing for safety or effectiveness.
How does a pump work?
The pump generates pressure, which forces the water to move. The higher the pressure, the faster the water will flow. The pressure can be measured in pounds per square inch. The rate of flow can be measured in gallons per minute. The pressure is the cause, and the water flow is the effect.
When is ECT administered?
Promotional materials are careful in describing the procedure and present a picture that’s quite benign: “ECT treatment is generally administered in the morning, before breakfast,” reads one brochure. “Prior to the actual treatment, the patient is given general anesthesia and a muscle relaxant.
Why did terror stalk the halls of euthanasia hospitals?
According to history professor Henry Friedlander, “Terror stalked the halls of the euthanasia hospitals not only because patients feared being selected for killing at any time or because some of the staff beat and maltreated them, but also because some medical procedures imposed unusual pain.”.
Why do we use higher voltages in the brain?
Much higher voltages are employed in the modern procedure because muscle relaxants and anesthetics raise the seizure threshold, with more electricity required to produce a seizure. The greater heat and electricity themselves cause more brain cell death, he says.
What machines were used in the Moroccan prison system?
The center also had several Page-Russell electroshock machines, which were routinely used on prisoners. During the post-shock periods, Moroccan physicians questioned the detainees, seeking information about opponents to the king.”.
Can a psychiatrist use psychotropic medications?
Psychiatrists often fiddle with the doses of psychotropic medications during a course of ECT treatments, which can have a huge effect on how patients report on their moods and mental states. Other studies rely on feedback from doctors, a research method with obvious perils.
Does electricity shock the brain?
And Baughman says using electricity to shock the brain into a seizure—no matter how you do it—results in real and lasting harm. “You are creating a seizure which is prima facie evidence of brain damage,” he observes.
Does electric current cause seizures?
While the modern procedure is generally carried out without busted teeth and the more grisly features of its early practice, the principle is still the same: Electric current blazes through the brain to provoke a seizure—the logic being that seizures occurring in the brain have some therapeutic benefit, somehow.
How many people are given electroshock?
Factually, ECT is one of the most brutal “treatments” ever inflicted upon individuals under the guise of mental health care. Yet approximately 1.4 million people worldwide, including an estimated 100,000 Americans, are given electroshock each year, including the elderly, pregnant women and children. [1]
What is electrical shock torture?
Torture Called Treatment: Electrical shock has been used for torturing political dissidents, such as is in China, or inflicted upon prisoners of war (such as Abu Ghraib in Iraq), which the United Nations (UN) classified as torture.
Why did the FDA withdraw the ECT rule?
Rather, nearly 10 years later, the FDA issued a Notice on November 26, 2004, announcing the withdrawal of certain rules, which included the September 1990 proposed ECT rule, claiming this was because FDA was “to reduce its regulatory backlog and focus its resources on current public health issues.”.
How long after ECT does memory go back to normal?
One study published in 1986 asked patients to assess their memory function 6-18 months after ECT and found that 74 percent mentioned “memory impairment” as a continuing problem and 30 percent felt that their memory “never returned to normal after ECT.”.
How much electricity does ECT send?
ECT sends up to 460 volts of electricity [2] through the brain in order to induce a grand mal seizure, a type of seizure that involves a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions, masked by an anesthetic.
What are the risks of ECT?
A safety review conducted by the FDA found that the most significant potential risks of ECT were “ cognitive and memory dysfunction, neuropathological changes or brain damage, and death .” [15] (Emphasis added.)
When did the FDA order ECT?
In April, the FDA once again issued an order requiring ECT device manufacturers submit any information known to them about the device, including adverse safety or effectiveness information, this time setting a deadline of August 2009. [48] .
Why is electroconvulsive therapy used?
Why it's done. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can provide rapid, significant improvements in severe symptoms of several mental health conditions. ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, ...
What is ECT used for?
ECT is used to treat: Severe depression, particularly when accompanied by detachment from reality (psychosis), a desire to commit suicide or refusal to eat. Treatment-resistant depression, a severe depression that doesn't improve with medications or other treatments. Severe mania, a state of intense euphoria, agitation or hyperactivity ...
What is ECT in medical terms?
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure, done under general anesthesia, in which small electric currents are passed through the brain, intentionally triggering a brief seizure. ECT seems to cause changes in brain chemistry that can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.
How often do you get ECT?
In the United States, ECT treatments are generally given two to three times weekly for three to four weeks — for a total of six to 12 treatments. Some doctors use a newer technique called right unilateral ultrabrief pulse electroconvulsive therapy that's done daily on weekdays.
How long after ECT can you drive?
However, some people may be advised not to return to work, make important decisions, or drive until one to two weeks after the last ECT in a series, or for at least 24 hours after a single treatment during maintenance therapy.
What is the test called when you have a seizure?
Internally, activity in your brain increases dramatically. A test called an electroencephalogram (EEG) records the electrical activity in your brain. Sudden, increased activity on the EEG signals the beginning of a seizure, followed by a leveling off that shows the seizure is over.
Is it safe to take ECT?
Risks. Although ECT is generally safe, risks and side effects may include: Confusion. Immediately after treatment, you may experience confusion, which can last from a few minutes to several hours. You may not know where you are or why you're there. Rarely, confusion may last several days or longer.
What is the purpose of electroshock therapy?
Electroconvulsive, or electroshock, therapy, introduced in Rome in 1938 by U. Cerletti and L. Bini, has been widely used in treating disturbances in which severe depression is the predominant symptom.
What is insulin shock therapy?
Until the discovery of the tranquilizing drugs, variations of insulin-shock therapy (also called insulin-coma therapy) were commonly used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions. With insulin-shock treatment, the patient is given increasingly large doses of insulin, which reduce the sugar content ...
How effective is insulin shock?
Insulin shock had its greatest effectiveness with schizophrenic patients whose illness had lasted less than two years ( the rate of spontane ous recovery from schizophrenia also is highest in the first two years of the illness). Insulin-shock therapy also had more value in the treatment of paranoid and catatonic schizophrenia than in ...
What is ECT therapy?
Bipolar Disorder and Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as ECT or electroshock therapy, is a short-term treatment for severe manic or depressive episodes, particularly when symptoms involve serious suicidal or psychotic symptoms, or when medicines seem to be ineffective. It can be effective in nearly 75% of ...
When to use ECT?
ECT is generally used only when medicines or other less invasive treatments prove to be unhelpful. It is also used when mood or psychotic symptoms are so severe that it may be unsafe to wait until drugs can take effect. ECT is also often thought to be the treatment of choice for severe mood episodes during pregnancy.
What is an ECT in a maniac?
In electroconvulsive therapy, an electric current is passed through the scalp to cause a brief seizure in the brain. ECT is one of the fastest ways to relieve symptoms in people who suffer from mania or severe depression. ECT is generally used only when medicines or other less invasive treatments prove to be unhelpful.
How often is ECT given?
ECT is usually given up to three times a week, typically for two to four weeks. After that, maintenance treatment can continue weekly or monthly, depending on the person's needs. ECT is among the safest treatments for severe mood disorders, with most risks being related to the anesthesia.
How long does ECT last?
Other possible side effects of ECT include: These side effects may last from several hours to several days. About a third of people who have ECT report some memory loss, but this is usually limited to the time surrounding the treatment.
Where are bilateral ECT electrodes placed?
The method used was bilateral ECT -- the most grossly damaging and most commonly used form of the treatment. Both electrodes are placed over the temples, overlapping the frontal lobes of the brain.
Why are patients helped by the checklist?
The authors argue that the patients are helped because they do better on a checklist of depressive symptoms. In this study, the checklist was administered after the last ECT, the period of time when the patient's brain is most acutely disturbed and the individual is frequently disoriented and even delirious.
Does ECT affect the brain?
Using a functional MRI in nine patients, the authors of the study conclude, "Our results show that ECT has lasting effects on the functional architecture of the brain.". The result of these lasting effects is "decrease in functional connectivity" with other parts of the brain. In other words, the frontal lobes are cut off from the rest of the brain.
Is ECT the best treatment for depression?
The media coverage was unquestioning and wholly positive. ECT is touted as the best treatment for depression and we are told that science has finally, after more than 70 years, found out how it works. The method used was bilateral ECT -- the most grossly damaging and most commonly used form of the treatment.
Can ECT patients recover?
We can only hope that these victims of ECT will recover with time, but the most extensive long-term follow-up study indicates that most ECT patients will never recover from the damage in the form of persistent severe mental deficits. Since the patients had all been heavily medicated in the past, and were continued on medications ...
Does ECT cause brain damage?
This new study contradicts claims by shock advocates such as psychiatrist David Healy that ECT does not cause brain damage. The report argues that this ECT effect supports the idea that depressive patients have too much activity in their frontal lobes and are returned to normal bv damaging the offending area of the brain.
